Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron

Author:Ellen Byron [Byron, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2023-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

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First thing in the morning, Ricki decided to test her theory that Carissa was chick-blocking her by texting Virgil’s availables to the assistant. After showering and dressing for work, she checked her phone. Carissa had texted back Those times don’t work. “I knew it,” a vindicated Ricki said to the dogs, who were busy devouring breakfast. She took a screenshot of the text exchange to have a record of it. Nina would be proud of me for scoring proof for a change, she thought smugly. But much as Ricki would love to expose Carissa’s manipulative behavior, she risked coming off as a tattletale whose own motives were suspect. The timing had to be right if it was to happen at all.

Ricki took the dogs outside, into the backyard she shared with landlady Kitty. After a few spirited games of fetch and tug-of-war, she leashed the dogs and brought them across the street.

Carissa answered the door wearing a body-hugging tank top and equally form-fitting skinny jeans, both designed to show off her voluptuous figure. “I saw your response to my text,” Ricki said. “Just so you know, the dates I sent were the ones Virgil signed off on. He’d like to be there when I shoot the video.”

“Got it.”

Carissa took the dogs and shut the door on Ricki without a goodbye. Virgil being at my video shoot is so not going to happen. Ricki emailed herself the screenshot of the text exchange with Carissa to make sure she had a backup copy, then headed off to Bon Vee.

She arrived at the house museum to see Eugenia, Blessed, and Gary in the middle of an argument outside the latter’s tent. Eugenia waved an object in Gary’s face. Worried, Ricki rushed over to run interference. She saw with relief that the object in the Charbonnet matriarch’s hand was her cell phone. “I don’t believe you,” Eugenia declared, furious.

“I swear, I had nothing to do with that story.” Gary seemed genuinely upset.

“Don’t look at me,” Blessed said. “I was just here catching up with Cousin Gary. I didn’t know about that story ’til you started yelling at us about it.”

“Hi.” Ricki kept her tone light in an attempt to diffuse the tension. “What’s going on?”

“This.”

Eugenia thrust her phone into Ricki’s hands. The headline on the OhNo!La app read “Charbonnet Cousin Fights for ‘Rightful Inheritance.’ ” Ricki skimmed the post, which laid out Gary’s claim to Genevieve Charbonnet’s estate, ending with a reference to Jean-Louis’s murder and the salacious final line, “Could Gary Charbonnet be next?”

“You can see why I’m upset.” Eugenia crossed her arms in front of her chest as if to contain her anger.

Ricki tried to find a bright side. “It doesn’t say he’s got a case. In fact, ‘Rightful Inheritance’ is in quotes. Like they’re skeptical.”

Ricki knew this was a reach but hoped it might calm Eugenia. No such luck. “You are dragging down the family name and Aunt Vee’s legacy with it,” Eugenia raged at her cousins. “If you two want to waste your time on a frivolous lawsuit, that’s your choice.

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